Environment 2.0

Investigating new forms of social sensing and participatory observation of local environment and climate.

The Environment 2.0 lab (2006-9) looked at how participatory observation and mapping combined with global information sharing creates an unprecedented capacity for participatory mass observation of the environment and climate. It was initiated in 2006 by FutureEverything and ImaginationLancaster to explore contributions to the sustainability of the way we live our lives, and how people can use locative art to develop ‘new senses,’ and share their discoveries with neighbours and people around the globe to become a part of a world-wide network of ‘one billion eyes.’

Project Funders

Updates

A special section of the Leonardo journal containing a collection of papers outlining and reflecting on the development of the 'Environment 2.0' research agenda and projects staged at the FutureEverything festival (formerly Futuresonic) testing experimental approaches to participatory mass...More information

A one day Open Lab unconference event exploring the theme of designing citizen science and mass participation projects on the environment, biodiversity and climate. It helped to evaluate the Environment 2.0 Participatory Mass Observation projects...Read full update

Futuresonic and the MET Office invite people in Manchester to join together in a unique experiment to map air flows and examine the ‘urban heat island’ phenomenon. Climate Bubbles will see hundreds of people across Manchester simultaneously blowing soap bubbles and noting where and how quickly they...More information

An audio walk with Yara El-Sherbini.Taking you on a night-time journey, a hypnotic induction will open up awareness with the environment; both the built and the self. Globally climate change is anticipated to have catastrophic local impacts, but is described in global terms, which is difficult to...More information

Biotagging: Manchester is a participatory project to discover and map the city's urban wildlife in new ways.People will move along a straight line through Manchester, observing and identifying the plants, animals and fungi they find along the route. The line will traverse a range of microclimates,...More information

An article explaining the science behind the Environment 2.0 participatory mass observation experiments at Futuresonic 2009 by Carlo Buontempo and Mark McCarthy at the Met Office, and John Tweddle at Natural History Museum....Read full article